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I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I SYSTEMS INTEGRATION AS A WATER SUPPLY SOURCE FOR THE DENVER METROPOLITAN AREA I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of water supply alternatives and to suggest a process of intergovernmental planning to address the future water supply needs of the Denver Metro Area. This report is intended as a discussion document to begin a process of objective evaluation of alternative sources of water supply with emphasis on possibilities for cooperative management and operation of existing systems to meet both near term and long term needs. A. The Current Status of Metro Water Planning Water supply planning efforts since the EPA veto of Two Forks have continued in a largely piecemeal fashion with far less cooperation between metro area water purveyors than was the case under the agreements between Denver and the suburbs for development of Two Forks. The Denver Water Department has focused its efforts on the process of renegotiating contracts with many of its suburban distributors to address problems concerning long-term water supply availability and reliability, rate issues, service area boundaries and conservation. Denver is also revising its water supply planning efforts with near term emphasis on smaller projects, such as Muddy Creek Reservoir, along with conservation to meet the needs of their existing service area. In November of 1991, eight of the more than forty participants in the Metropolitan Water Providers agreements filed suit in the US District Court for Colorado against the Environmental Protection Agency (EP A) and the Army Corps of Engineers (CEO) challenging their decision to prohibit construction of Two Forks Reservoir. The Courts decision on a motion to dismiss based upon the question of whether or not the individual providers have standing to bring the suit is currently pending. The Denver Water Board has not joined the litigation and recently took action to suspend the Two Forks Participation Agreement. Another subset of thirteen of the participants in the Metropolitan Water Providers have formed the Metropolitan Denver Water Authority to continue coordination of efforts to develop new water supply sources. In mid-1991, the Authority retained the firm of Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers to investigate and prioritize water supply development projerts. This study is complete but currently confidential, and is reported to have identified sources that could deliver approximately 25,000 acre-feet from groundwater supplies, water exchanges, and small west slope and east slope projects. The intent of the Authority is that these supply projects would help meet suburban needs until development of Two Forks or some equivalent project. Meanwhile, individual cities including Aurora, Thornton, Westminster, Broomfield and others are independently pursuing water sources to enhance their own systems. These efforts include acquisition of additional agricultural water rights, purchase of Windy Gap Water from Boulder, and diversion projects such as Homestake II.